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Corrosion Fatigue Strength

Definition - What does Corrosion Fatigue Strength mean?

Corrosion fatigue strength is the strength of materials used in various structures like aluminum alloys, steel and titanium alloys against the damage of corrosion fatigue.

Industries prefer materials with very high strength, as these meet all industrial and technological requirements. This means that the usefulness of a structure largely depends on the extent to which it can fight damage caused by corrosion fatigue.

Corrosionpedia explains Corrosion Fatigue Strength

In corrosion fatigue, metal prematurely undergoes fracture when subjected to conditions like repetitive cycle loading and concurrent corrosion under low levels of stress. This means that metal can undergo fatigue even with the absence of a corrosive atmosphere. Hence, corrosion fatigue is largely associated with instantaneous cyclic stress and corrosion.

When stress increases, there is a greater chance for fracture as the number of cycles required to cause damage is also reduced. Corrosion fatigue largely depends on several factors, including:

Loading interactions

Metallurgical factors

Environmental factors

For certain materials, the corrosion fatigue strength, or the life of a material under the highest value of stress, is reduced with the presence of a forceful atmosphere. For most of the alloys used in engineering, fatigue limits describe the levels of stress below which failure will not take place in particular number of cycles.

Learning about corrosion fatigue strength and how to measure it can greatly help in the prevention of stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Typically, industries make materials stronger by reducing pressure fluctuation and vibration as well as using alloys known for high performance.

Various coatings can also be used to inhibit the occurrence of cracks or corrosion fatigue in various industrial materials. Therefore, proper measurements of corrosion fatigue strength account for the successful prevention of industrial corrosion.